Trick question. They’re the greatest. They won’t melt if you leave them resting on a hot pan, they won’t scratch your nonstick cookware, wood makes an excellent cutting board, and, to top it all off, it looks real classy. None of that plastic garbage for me. (Only kind of kidding. I do own a plastic cutting board for dealing with raw chicken, and I have plastic cooking utensils, but they’re in my “I don’t use this but I’m not throwing it away yet” drawer.)
You know what’s not the greatest? Wooden spoons, handles, cutting boards, and whatever else you use that’s made out of wood gets gross when it gets wet. You can’t put it in the dishwasher, and you can’t let it soak too long in the sink (well, obviously you CAN, but don’t). If it’s something you use often enough, the wood can even crack or warp.
Know what you can do about that? Just don’t use wood, you say? NO. THATS NOT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. Seriously. You can make an amazing wood conditioning oil in only 3 minutes!
Wood Conditioner
1/2 oz (15g) beeswax
2 oz (60g) coconut oil
Put them in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, repeat until everything has melted together and is clear. Mine took 2 minutes total. Pour into a small jar and let it cool before putting on the lid. Done! How easy peasy is that?!
To use, grab a clean rag (or use your hands if you’d rather…this stuff makes your skin feel lovely), and rub the wood conditioner all over everything. Let it sit out overnight, and buff off any excess in the morning. So, so easy. Repeat whenever you want. If your spoons and cutting boards are in good condition already, they might just need to be oiled a couple times per year. If they’re already super dry, you might need to apply a couple of times per month to bring them back from the brink.
Anyway, you should try it. For real. Or, if you don’t feel like buying beeswax in bulk (can’t blame you), you can buy a pre-made jar of this lovely stuff in my store!!! Click the “shop” link above to check it out!
If you want to attempt this buttery miracle yourself, follow the links below (I may earn a commission on any items purchased by clicking on links in this post).
